Episode 1
This is a page for Episode 1 of Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Heads up! SPOILER ALERT!!! Background Info The director was PD Kim Kyu-tae, who has also directed It's Okay, It's Love, That Winter, The Wind Blows, and IRIS. The writer has written for Cinderella Man and Save the Last Dance. The first three episodes were aired in one week!!! Summary 25-year-old Go Ha-Jin (actress is IU) sits on a pier (in modern day), drinking from a bottle of soju. Somebody had left her in a lot of debt and another woman betrayed her and ran away with him. A homeless man sits nearby, thirstily eyeing her drink. She offers him a drink, which he eagerly snatches. Go Ha-Jin tells him that she just wants to sleep for a thousand years and never wake up. She tells the man about all of her problems and starts to cry, and he replies that you can't change your future unless you died and came back to life. He then settles down to sleep. A boy falls into the lake, and it is implied that he can't swim. Ha-Jin is about to help him but tells herself that somebody else will come for him. But when nobody does, she reluctantly jumps into the water, attracting the boy's family's attention. The father(?) jumps into his boat and rows toward Go Ha-Jin and the boy. The boy is pulled into the boat and he reaches his hand out to Ha-Jin's but suddenly the solar eclipse happens and a strange force pulls Ha-Jin deep down into the water, and the flashback starts. The flashback is very fast, but it is of two people kissing, Ha-Jin arguing with somebody and them slapping each other, a man breaking up the fight and going on the other woman's side, and an angry crowd of people chasing after Ha-Jin. Ha-Jin sinks as the sun becomes covered and the sky and everything else completely darkens. Meanwhile, a man with a mask covering half of his face is riding a galloping horse as the sun eclipses. He is carrying a sword and heading towards Goryeo with some other riders. This man is Wang So, fourth prince. We are then shown the other princes taking their bath. Tenth prince Wang Eun is with fourteenth prince Jung, and they seem to get along very well. Yo, the third prince, looks mischievous and scheming (or maybe that's just his face...). The thirteenth prince is also present. Although his name is Wook, he is called Baek-Ah because the eighth prince's name is also Wook. The eighth prince is also present. The princes talk about how there will be a ritual ceremony, and Wook says that the fourth prince should be there by that time, as it is to clean you of bad spirits. There are many rumors about Prince So killing people viciously, and he is called a "wolf-dog", or to put it simply, a wild animal. Tenth prince, Eun, gets bored of the conversation and leaps into the pool, which is really their bathtub. Suddenly...Ha-Jin appears, wearing Goryeo-style clothes! Ta-da! She feels relieved to be alive and suddenly notices her surroundings, including the tenth prince. Both of them scream at the same time and Eun yells for the other princes to come. A servant girl behind a bush beckons for Ha-Jin to get out of there, which she does. Wook, confused, whispers, "Hae...Soo?" The servant girl, whose name is Chae-Ryung, quickly led Ha-Jin away, scolding her and calling her 'Lady'. Ha-Jin is very confused to where she is, why she's there, and why in the world she's being called 'Lady'. Ha-Jin supposes that she's actually died and faints. Fourth prince, Wang So, finally arrives at Goryeo and an attendant reminds him to keep his adopted last name around the king and to return to Shunju immediately afterward. So replies that he was a hostage, not an adopted son. He grabs his sword and promptly kills his horse, saying that he will not go back. Finally Ha-Jin wakes up and Lady Hae calls her 'Hae Soo'. She confusedly tells her that her name is Go Ha-Jin. Then she smiles and says, "Ah, right, I died". Chae Ryung is also confused and corrects her, saying that she nearly died. Ha-Jin, even more confused, asks, "I'm not dead?" Shocked, she runs out of the room and looks at her surroundings, where she sees people walking around in traditional clothing. Ha-Jin is very confused and we can infer that she is having a very severe headache. Lady Hae and Chae Ryung also run out and Lady Hae tells Chae Ryung to get the doctor, and she quickly leaves. Ha-Jin grabs Lady Hae, and asks, "Where is this place? No, no. Who am I?" Lady Hae looks concerned and tells Ha-Jin that her name is Hae Soo. Lady Hae is her sixth cousin, Myung Hee. Shocked, Ha-Jin wonders if she's in another person's body. Lady Hae also tells her that she is in Songak, which is the home of prince Wang Wook. The word 'Songak' clicks in Ha-Jin's mind. "Am I in Goryeo right now?" (Goryeo was one of the parts of Korea long, long ago.) Lady Hae looks relieved. "Yes, it is that Goryeo." Ha-Jin only looks more shocked now, to learn that the king is Taejo Wang Gon. Her eyes widen, and Lady Hae looks worried again now. Meanwhile, King Taejo throws a birdcage to the ground in his throneroom? courtroom? in front of some of his best subjects and sons. The bird ate the Crown Prince's breakfast, and it is clearly dead. Apparently it died before it could even swallow the first bite. Luckily, the Crown Prince had skipped his meal as he was not hungry, so he was not harmed. King Taejo orders them to catch the person who attempted to kill the Crown Prince. Minister Wang Shik-ryeom argues that the Crown Prince Moo is not acting like a Crown Prince anyway. He tells the king about a rumor of how Prince Moo has an incurable disease and asks King Taejo to dispose Prince Moo and choose another prince as the Crown Prince. Unfortunately, Prince Moo hears everything, as he is standing outside! King Taejo asks who will take Prince Moo's place. Eighth prince Wook kneels and begs him to take back his words, as nobody wants to take the place. Baek Ah kneels, then Yo, and finally the rest of the princes (So is not present again). King Taejo asks Astronomer Choi Ji Mong for advice. Choi Ji Mong says that Prince Moo was born under a royal star, and that star is shining brighter every day, which means that Prince Moo is a good Crown Prince. With Choi Ji Mong's advice, King Taejo has no hesitation and declares that at the ceremonial ritual, Crown Prince Moo will chase away the evil spirits. Third queen Yoo meets with Minister Wang Shik-Ryeom and is surprised to learn that Crown Prince Moo still has his place. A court lady tells Queen Yoo that somebody wishes to see her. That somebody is her own son, So. Annoyed, she turns him away. At night, Ha-Jin shuts herself in her room and feels confused and afraid. Am I Hae Soo or Go Ha-Jin? Ha-Jin figures that it's fortunate that she has a second chance at life and she should be Soo, if only for now. (Now we will refer to Ha-Jin as Soo.) Wook is concerned to hear from his wife, Lady Hae, about how Hae Soo seems to have hurt herself and lost her memory. He breaks her door down and comforts her. Wook holds out his hand, which she takes. There is a flashback to where Queen Yoo is arguing with King Taejo, who is about to get married to his third wife. She makes him decide between his wife and his child, So. As Queen Yoo is about to kill her own son, King Taejo stops her and they struggle with the knife. Eventually, the knife falls to the ground, but there is a cut on So's face, which is why he wears the mask. King Taejo and Choi Ji Mong watch So from a distance, and King Taejo worries and wonders if So will help the Crown Prince or hurt him. Soo walks around with Chae Ryung, who tries to tell her about herself, as she believes that Soo has had amnesia. Soo pretends that she is starting to remember, but Chae Ryung can tell that there's something wrong with her. She asks Soo if she's pretending to have forgotten everything. Soo asks if "Soo is that kind of girl" and talks about herself in third person, causing Chae Ryung to believe that she really has lost her memory. Soo feels a little depressed when she suddenly realizes that she has a completely different body with no wrinkles on her face and long hair and everything, and becomes a little happier. Anyway, Choi Ji Mong is working on a project in his...workshop? Flyinig contraptions, telescopes...it's no wonder that the princes race in so excitedly. Ji Mong explains his plane to Prince Eun. Prince Yo asks Ji Mong if the royal star above Prince Moo is even real. Ji Mong laughs and asks why he would lie about such matters. Baek Ah asks what his fortune will be, then. Ji Mong answers that Baek Ah will have luck with females. Prince Eun starts laughing. Jung says that Prince Yo will have luck in governing, Prince Won has luck in wealth, Prince Wook has blessings in intelligence, and Prince Eun has...Jung isn't sure. Prince Eun answers that he has a "younger brother blessing". Prince Jung stands up, calling him little. Prince Eun stands up and is about to argue when he realizes just how much shorter he actually is than Prince Jung. Choi Ji Mong comments that he feels hurt. They loved his stories, and now they won't trust him anymore. Prince Baek Ah argues that that was when they were young. Ji Mong chuckles and agrees that they are all grown up. Prince Jung widens his eyes and repeats Ji Mong's words to Eun. Eun argues, saying that he's not grown up yet. They joke and laugh until Prince Won wonders aloud where Prince So is. They've heard the rumors and Prince Yo talks about them with hostility, saying that he wouldn't greet somebody like that. Prince Wook gently reminds the others about how Prince So is still a brother, and he arrives. Prince Wook is the only one to greet him while the others hold their breath. Prince So promptly leaves. Chae Ryung and Soo take a walk and watch Prince Wook and Lady Hae from a distance. Chae Ryung tells Soo that Prince Wook is the best man in the world and that he should have been the first prince. Soo and Chae Ryung note how the pair seem to have a very good and trusting relationship. Soo remembers how he comforted her in her sadness the night before, and how she trusted him. They suddenly make eye contact and he gives her a reassuring look. A woman with many attendants stop by the two girls. Princess Yeon Hwa says that the situation is disrespectful, and Chae Ryung pushes Soo's back down as she hasn't greeted the princess formally. Princess Yeon Hwa has a friendly smile, but she talks with a very hostile tone, telling Soo that they shouldn't spy on a married couple. Hae Soo observes how the princess has a crooked smile and her hand is clenched. She smiles brightly and says, "If you don't like me, just say so." Princess Yeon Hwa gasps and Soo answers that she can tell just by looking that the princess is just picking on her, trying to find a reason to get her into trouble. Chae Ryung asks for forgiveness, while Soo asks if she's saying that Soo is crazy. Yeon Hwa calls her a wench and Soo is very angry. Prince Wook breaks up the fight. Prince Wook figures that Soo has forgotten formal greetings also, and she does the modern formal greeting, still a little confused. He asks if she spied on the princes' bath before or after she lost her memory. Soo replies that she doesn't remember. Prince Wook means to help her wishes come true, and she is confused from his kindness. Soo then almost bumps into him and is flustered by their closeness. He tells her that she seems like a totally different person. So walks through Ji Mong's library, and smirks at some of the book pictures. He asks Ji Mong why he asked for So to come. Ji Mong tells So that somebody tried to poison Prince Moo and tells him to kill the culprit. Princess Yeon Hwa notices that Soo is awful at making lotus flower shaped lanterns and tells her to do the lowliest job: making glue. After becoming tired, Soo starts stretching and Wook spots her. He teases her and then walks away. The princes practice their sword ritual and Eun grumpily gives up in the middle. While they eat, Prince Won says that there's a rumor that the king might abdicate his throne to Prince Moo after the ritual. Choi Ji Mong seems alarmed and leaves. Prince Wook scolds Prince Won in bringing the topic up but Prince Yo argues that people are curious about it and they should have the right to know and wonder. After all, Choi Ji Mong didn't exactly deny it. Soo, exhausted, is laying on the small platform where the pot of glue rests. She quickly gets up and brushes herself off. Soo looks up and sees the astronomer busily walking and gasps with recognition. Choi Ji Mong was the homeless man at the pier at the beginning of the episode. Soo runs after him, trying not to trip over her skirts. She comes to a road, where she keeps following him. Soo comes to a bridge, where he is out of sight. Suddenly there are shouts and cries about the "wolf-dog", and Soo looks up to see Prince So riding his horse, galloping in the middle of the busy road while everybody ducks and runs to avoid being trampled. Soo gasps and steps back, immediately regretting it as she starts to fall backwards. Very suddenly, Prince So catches her and pulls her onto his horse in the process. Soo stares at him in wonder and confusion, and the episode ends. Memorable Scenes Category:Episodes